Johnson: Bozon’s presence a boost for Ice

George Johnson, Calgary Herald03.28.2014

Kootenay Ice forward and Montreal Canadiens prospect Tim Bozon speaks to media Friday regarding his release from a Saskatoon hospital after falling ill with meningitis at the beginning of March. He’s expected at Saturday’s Game 6 in Cranbrook, B.C.Liam Richards
/ THE CANADIAN PRESS

Jenn Pierce, Calgary Herald Calgary, AB; MARCH 27, 2014 -- Chris Driedger of the Calgary Hitmen is unable to stop a shot by the Kootenay Ice during the first period at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary on Thursday March 27, 2014. (Jenn Pierce/Calgary Herald) For Sports story by . Trax # 00054034AJenn Pierce
/ Calgary Herald

A month to the day after he was admitted to Royal University Hospital suffering from bacterial meningitis, his life only 19 years in the making but very much in jeopardy, Tim Bozon will be in the house in Cranbook on Saturday night.

Another massive injection of impetus, of purpose, for the Kootenay Ice to grab hold of … to distil into pure competitive fuel.

“Huge,” said Ice star Sam Reinhart late Thursday night, asked about the impact of his teammate’s inspirational recovery. “We’ve been in communication with him quite a bit the last couple of days. Skype, stuff like that. Before Game 4 at home, when we forced Game 6, we knew he’d be in attendance for this next one.

“So that’s definitely motivating. To say the least.”

As if the don’t-let-it-pass chance to drop a Ball Peen hammer of finality on the heads of a shaken, searching-for-answers group of Calgary Hitmen wasn’t in itself enough.

Bozon, making an inspirational recovery after a coma was induced by doctors to alleviate swelling on the brain, will drop the puck in a ceremonial first faceoff at Western Financial Place in advance of Game 6. On Friday, he held a media conference at WFP.

“He’s not out of the woods but he’s improving and we’re looking forward to seeing him,” said Ice coach Ryan McGill.

Bozon’s appearance Saturday is certain to provide a massive emotional lift to Kootenay, already poised on the threshold of the upset. The Hitmen simply cannot allow themselves to be caught up in the all the emotions. The time is long past due to calm down an out-of-control series.

“I don’t think river hockey’s the way we want to play,” said defenceman Kenton Helgesen. “Going back and forth anything can happen — 10-12 goal games. We want to try and keep the goals against as low as possible.

“That line, they’ve had some success against us. It’s tough to play against them, but we’ve got to be tough against them. It’s one thing to say it, but we’ve got to go out there and we’ve got to do it and shut them down as best as possible.”

As lethal, Hitmen captain Jaynen Rissling is spot on when he says he and his pals have been their own worst enemies.

“It’s just the way that we’re working. I think to a man everyone’s working hard. It’s just not necessarily smart,” Rissling said.

“I think there’s a lot of times we’re over-backchecking and missing the late guy which is where they’re generating a lot of their offence, or I think it’s guys getting back in time but going to the same man. A lot of the pucks are just bouncing right to their open guy and it seems like every time he’s got an empty net or a goal comes out of it.”

For all the bold talk about roughhousing the vastly influential Reinhart, making his life a nightmare straight out the imagination of Edvard Munch, he’s been pretty much granted impunity to saunter about at his leisure around during four of the five games, as if out leisurely taking in the abundant beauties of nature at nearby Jimsmith Lake provincial park.

He’s only torched them for 14 points over five games, his trusty sidekick Jaedon Descheneau for 13.

If that bossing ‘Who’s your daddy?’ trend continues Saturday, this one’s as good as done.

What the Calgarians do have going for them out in the B.C. hinterland is the complete unpredictability of this series, its various shifts and slaloms along with a dominating closing 20 minutes — their best of the series — on Thursday, pinning the Ice back on their heels, outscoring them 2-0 and very nearly equalizing.

“We were really desperate in the third period and that showed,” said Calgary’s top man on the night, Greg Chase. “We controlled the game. It wasn’t even a contest when we decided we wanted to play with desperation. We didn’t do that in the first two periods.

“Maybe we think this team’s not worthy of playing us where we are. That’s clearly not the case. They’re a team that scores six goals a night. They’ve proven that through four games so far this series. We’ve got to be way better than we’ve been and more desperate and I think you’ll see that in Game 6.”

A lot of things have to be better if they’re going to go the distance. Better goaltending for starters, whether boss Mike Williamson comes back with Chris Driedger or elects to switch things up and start Mack Sheilds remains unclear. Better discipline, too. Oh, and a more working recognition of the constant dangers represented by Reinhart and Descheneau.

“If we don’t leave it all out there now,” Williamson said with a flat firmness, “your season’s done.

“I think we’re capable of it, but we have to make sure we’ve got 20 guys that are ready to go instead of handful.”

Those 48 wins and 103 points and don’t mean squat right now. For them, be it the regulation 60 or longer, Saturday has become non-negotiable.

Their world has shrunk to this. Nothing beyond. One night in Cranbook.

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